“From the beginning, art elements and overall design featured prominently in strategy discussions and were kept at the forefront. Inventive and well-known global design firm IDEO was brought in early on to work with Gannett’s innovation team incorporating relevant research into the human-centered design* that was being developed for The Bold Italic.”

The cost to Gannett? Well, millions were spent on just one website / defunct magazine. How many millions? Well, as with Charles Foster Kane’s Xanadu, No Man Can Say.

“The revenue plan was mysterious because there was no revenue. Not for the first 24 months anyway. The Bold Italic had a burn rate that rivals some of the most infamous dot.com fizz outs. They blew through $2 million a year for the first 2 years, before snagging a whopping $41k in revenue based on their skimming from entertainment ticket / event sales.”

And that brings us to July 2014, where these bits came out within hours of each other:

Here are two ads for Equinox Fitness on Pine Street what are about three yards high:

Click to expand

I think things were a lot more wholesome at the Pacific Stock Exchange Building when it was the Pacific Stock Exchange. You know, back when Kevin Bacon filmed that Quicksilver bike messenger movie in 1986 before you were born. It went a little like this, with KB acting as a besuited yuppie stock broker at the PSE at Pine and Sansome.

You see, back then, everybody wore clothes and open outcry was the order of the day.

Have you heard the Word on the Street? It’s that Halloween in the Castro is making a comeback in 2011. So get dressed up and go, if you want.

Now, they won’t shut down the streets and put up fences and charge admission the way they did just a few years back. Oh no. Castro in the Halloween is returning but as a smaller event. You know, the way it was before all the “bros and hos” from Santa Clara County started showing up.

I haven’t heard word one about Halloween being cancelled this year – perhaps a new Mayor has new priorities?

And do you think the cops might be busy raiding (or “training” for raiding) Occupy SF down in the Embarcadero?

Mmmmm…

Anyway, Halloween in the Castro 2011 will be a sedate affair, with delightfully-costumed people milling about.

“Do you look like this? We are looking for 4 men to be supernumeraries in Turandot wearing this costume (or lack there of!). Anyone interested in this chance of a lifetime should call 415-565-6481 or email supers@sfopera.com. Not a lot of pay, but a lot of exposure! Rehearsals start next week, so don’t delay.”